IDLE HANDS is a late-'90s comedy horror flick that comes across as a cross between the self-knowing humour of SCREAM and the bodily dismemberment of EVIL DEAD 2. Unsurprisingly it's nowhere near as good as either of those movies, although those with a penchant for '90s horror might get a chuckle or two from this one.
The worst thing about this, for me, was the main characters, who are a trio of the usual slacker/stoner types that I don't think much of. Devon Sawa, of FINAL DESTINATION fame, was never much of an actor and he struggles to bring any charisma to the part here, although Seth Green is always reliable. The idea of having the two buddies helping him out seems to have been borrowed from Peter Jackson's superior THE FRIGHTENERS.
The whole 'possessed hand' thing has been done before, and better, most notably by Bruce Campbell, so there's not a whole lot of entertainment value there. Still, there are plenty of splattery and gory moments which are handled nicely, and it's always amusing to see actors in pre-stardom roles (step forward, Jessica Alba). The final denouement is a bit silly but overall IDLE HANDS is an acceptable film for what it is, just not one I found particularly funny.
The worst thing about this, for me, was the main characters, who are a trio of the usual slacker/stoner types that I don't think much of. Devon Sawa, of FINAL DESTINATION fame, was never much of an actor and he struggles to bring any charisma to the part here, although Seth Green is always reliable. The idea of having the two buddies helping him out seems to have been borrowed from Peter Jackson's superior THE FRIGHTENERS.
The whole 'possessed hand' thing has been done before, and better, most notably by Bruce Campbell, so there's not a whole lot of entertainment value there. Still, there are plenty of splattery and gory moments which are handled nicely, and it's always amusing to see actors in pre-stardom roles (step forward, Jessica Alba). The final denouement is a bit silly but overall IDLE HANDS is an acceptable film for what it is, just not one I found particularly funny.